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Long lines form for game release |
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Thursday, 27 September 2007 |
 Obie Dancy, a cashier at Game Stop, sold Halo 3 to many in the gaming community, including Matthew Marsh, pictured on the left, in the Boone Mall Tuesday. Shanel Boston
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by LINDSAY CRAVEN
Lifestyles Reporter
Boone was invaded by a mysterious alien civilization at midnight Tuesday.
This invasion brought out students from every race, sex and creed to stand in line waiting for the invasion to take place.
At midnight, “Halo 3” made its debut at video game providers throughout town.
It has been three years since the release of “Halo 2” and students were anxious to get a copy of the game.
GameStop at both Wal-Mart shopping center and Boone Mall issued
customers numbered cards at 9 p.m. Monday night and these cards held
their place in line until midnight if they chose to leave and come
back.
Senior English major Bryan D. Lail arrived at GameStop in the Wal-Mart
shopping center at 11:45 p.m. to pick up his reserved collector’s
edition of the game that he paid for months ago.
“The excitement has always been there. Ever since ‘Halo,’ this was the
only game that I considered to be nearly perfect in terms of sheer
entertainment, competition, game play and story,” Lail said. “I have
always primarily played console games. Around the time that the first
Halo was released, I played more video games than I care to admit, but
now with my new college life, I only choose to play a select few.”
James J. Rogerson, a freshman undecided major, chose to get in line at 8:45 p.m. at the same GameStop.
“As soon as I received my copy of ‘Halo 3’ I drove straight back to my
dorm and rushed to my room and once in, I immediately began playing,”
Rogerson said. “Once the ‘Halo’ theme music started blaring out of my
TV, mainly because I wanted to turn it all the way up no matter if it
was ‘quiet hours’ or not, people on my floor [in Cone Residence Hall]
started coming into my room to check out [the game].”
From there on, I messed around with the multiplayer for a little bit,
but mainly I played the off-line campaign until approximately 5 a.m.,
knowing that I had a class at 8 a.m. which I kinda skipped,” Rogerson
continued.
Rogerson expects to miss class in the future for the game as well.
“I may have to run the limit of three absences per class due to the
lack of sleep or even the continuation of me still playing, but I do
value my education and wouldn’t want to mess it up just for a video
game... Bungie is not giving me a degree, [Appalachian] is,” Rogerson
said.
Freshman computer science major Jay H. Adkins got home around 12:30
a.m. and within five hours, beat the campaign mode of the game.
Lail also played until 5 a.m. but did not have to miss class since his only class was cancelled for the day.
“[The game] has definitely lived up to my expectations. The graphics
are far superior - there are new weapons, maps, etc.,” Lail said.
“Basically it’s just more of the same great game with a fresh coat of
paint.”
“Halo 3” was released with three different editions: the standard
edition for $59.99, the limited edition for $69.99 and the legendary
edition for $129.99.
“I got the [limited edition] just because I thought the price of the
legendary was insane just to receive the replica Spartan helmet, which
didn’t appeal to me at all; I just wanted to play the game. The
[limited] edition…came with a special double-sided steel case - the
extra contents of which consist of a bonus disc with some special gamer
pics and themes, production art, and a halo themed mini game; it also
came with a special booklet which details the games many species,
characters, and weapons,” Lail said.
Rogerson chose the standard edition.
“I would stay away from the ‘legendary’ pack because there have been
many reports of Microsoft doing a crappy job packaging the disks.
Therefore people have opened it up only to find a scratched up copy of
‘Halo 3’ and they paid more than the standard version,” Rogerson said.
“I got the legendary edition, which was a must because it came with two
bonus discs that show the making of the game and it had a very unique
display,” Adkins said. “I’m a computer science major who wants to make
games so getting the extra discs were a must.”
On top of the game price, customers who want to take advantage of the
online multiplayer function must have an Xbox 360 console and a gold
subscription for Xbox Live, which runs at $50 for a one year
subscription.
Lail, Rogerson and Adkins all had these accessories prior to the game’s release.
The online multiplayer function is noted as being one of the most unique aspects of this game for gamers.
“Multiplayer adds to the longevity of any game. A single player story
mode can only be fun for so long, and usually after you’ve beaten it
once, there’s not much point in doing it again,” Lail said.
“Multiplayer, depending on how good it is, keeps a game alive for
months or years because players are always improving, finding new ways
to out duel their opponents. It may always be the same game, but it
will continue to change and keep the game, as a whole, interesting.”
“It’s a full rush of adrenaline. It’s stimulating socially,
competitively, physically, mentally and, to some, even spiritually,”
Adkins said. “Its a game that borders on a full fledged sport that
takes the player and grips rips them with anticipation and excitement
with every passing second and it makes it hard to put down the
controller."
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